Thank You for the Roses
by Mari9117
Summary: Oneshot. Lily and James are potions partners the week before Valentine's Day. What will ensue?


Hey. This is my third story – a oneshot – and it was very spur of the moment. You see, I had a snow day to day and I was also sick in bed. So, why not write a fanfic? Yes, I did this all in like, two hours…so this is the final product…I have never done a James/Lily fanfiction, and I don't even read them, so here goes…

Disclaimer – I don't own Harry Potter.

Thank You For The Roses

Friday, February 6

Professor Slughorn cleared his throat to draw attention from the particularly loud class. "Yes, yes, I know it's Friday and thee last class of the day-"

"And Valentine's Day is only a week from tomorrow!" Zoey Anderson of Ravenclaw shrieked.

"Yes, yes, Miss Anderson…I know some of you are a bit excited about that," Slughorn continued only stopping to wait for some of the girls in his class of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws to stop giggling. "And to keep you all focused despite this distraction – and with NEWTs coming in a few months – we will be starting a team project!"

The class groaned. With a transfiguration exam and two essays in arithmacy and divination, they did not need another potions project. And, after the Nardini twins incident back in October, there was no hope in even the possibility of picking you own partner.

Slughorn, oblivious to the student's protest, went on. "You will be paired up and asked to research and make a high-maintenance potion. The potion you and your partner decide on must have a minimum developing time of two days. This will require cooperation between you and your partner and most likely outside-of-class work on preparing the potion. Also, with the completion of your chosen potion, you and your partner must collaborate to write a four page research paper on the potion"

Lily Evans turned to her best friend, Reilly O'Doul. They both suppressed snorts of laughter a the sight of Professor Slughorn who was as read as a beet from reciting the requirements for the assignment.

Before he lost the total attention form the student audience, he read from a piece of parchment the students who would be working together.

"Pettigrew and Clay, Lupin and Lee…Cornstone and Williamson…Richards and Finch…O'Doul and Black…"

"Haha-hahaha," Lily sang in her friend's ear. "You have to work with Sirius Black!"

"No way…" Reilly muttered, glaring sourly at Professor Slughorn, who was still reading from the list.

But before Lily could enjoy mocking her friend even more, the professor read out loud who she'd be working with.

"Potter and Evans!"

Lily's smirk was totally whipped off in two seconds flat. Her jaw dropped and she watched as Reilly started laughing at her. She turned towards the front of the room to look at Slughorn, only to find someone standing in front of her desk. She looked up to see James Potter towering above her. He had a smirk practically imprinted on his face. Lily groaned.

"Looks like I'm not flunking potions now!" James turned to Lupin and Sirius, who were intently watching. James ran his fingers through his jet black hair, to keep the same messy look. "Well, Evans, we're going to be partners for the next couple weeks…won't that be fun?" He gave her a mocking smile, and noisily dropped his books on his side of the desk.

Lily rolled her green eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, just right dandy," she sarcastically muttered.

James leaned back in his seat, pleased with himself. "I want to do that potion." He pointed to a page in the potions book.

Lily sighed at his snotty and decisive behavior. She took the book and looked the potion.

It was called the Tenebrae Dilucesco potion. It allowed the drinker to obtain night vision for an hour. Its origin was from a spell with the same name. The spell doesn't exist anymore because it was found that three out of five users of it would suffer from a terminal side effect: the counter curse would have no impact on their body, thus the person would have night vision forever and not be able to sleep.

Tenebrae Dilucesco required 7 full days to brew. There was a complicated list of ingredients. A base potion would be made first, but then each night, for six nights, a couple more important ingredients would be added. These ingredients would have to be added at exactly midnight, the peak time of night. It would be a lumpy dark green substance for about six days, but on the seventh night, if brewed correctly that is, it will turn a midnight blue and be "as smooth and silky as unicorn's blood."

"It'll be complicated," Lily said.

"So?"

"One of us will need to come here every night to add the extra ingredients."

"Whatever."

"Fine! I'll do it. I'm not going to let my potions grade suffer just because you'd overslept!"

"Oh, thanks sweetheart."

"You arrogant prick."

"Language darling! We wouldn't want a prefect getting in trouble, now would we?" James looked over at her with an innocent expression.

"You go get the ingredients and I'll get the cauldron ready," Lily compromised, trying to keep her cool.

"Whatever you say, princess."

The two brewed the base potion in silence, but James still found ways to annoy Lily, such as measuring things the wrong way or failing to listen to her orders.

After the base potion was done, it was up to Lily's midnight runs to keep the potion together.

James sat back with content. He watched her move the cauldron to the back of the room for safekeeping. He watched with amusement as she fumbled around with papers and the potions book.

Five minutes before class ended, Lily turned to her partner, who was currently fascinated with messing up his hair.

"Ok. So, for the research paper, you write two pages about the introduction, purpose and origins of tenebrae dilucesco. I'll write two pages on the procedure, ingredients and the role each ingredient plays in the final product," Lily compromised.

"Looking forward to it," James sighed, already overwhelmed with the work load.

Lily stalked out of the classroom when Slughorn dismissed them. James quickly followed her, thinking of more ways to aggravate her.

"Hey Sam!" Lily greeted her boyfriend from Hufflepuff. "I told you, you didn't have to wait, Slughorn always lets us out lat-"

Before she could finish her thought, Sam caught her in a passionate kiss, right in the middle of the hallway. James smirked at the unnoticing couple, and then bounded off with Sirius, Lupin and Peter.

Saturday, February 7

Lily tried not to doze off while watching Sam in his Quidditch practice, but it was hard. The night before, she got to the potions room at eleven thirty, to make sure she wouldn't miss the 12:00 engagement.

Sam, who was walking out of the pitch, looked up at the stands and waved to her. Lily smiled and waved back.

While Sam was in the changing room, Lily decided to walk back towards the castle by herself. She groaned when just ahead of her, walking in the opposite direction, was James and his cronies.

James spotted her, as always. He climbed on his Clean Sweep 500 and at full speed, flew straight at her.

Lily saw what he was doing. When he was about five yards in front of her, flying at about 80 mph, she jumped out of the way and landed harshly on the grass.

With his years of flying experience, James was able to swiftly, though abruptly, stop when he approached Lily's side. Lily could only stare at him with a mixed expression of anger and distress.

"Lily, my dear, you're missing the big show!" James exclaimed, referring to the Gryffindor Quidditch practice. He was oblivious to how scared she was.

Her cheeks were burning. She scrambled p from the gound and stalked toward the castle. She pushed through Sirius, Lupin and Peter, who were all laughing at her.

She made her way to her dormitory. She sat on her bed. James flying at her was still imprinted in her mind. She curiously looked at her pillow, which had a beautiful yellow rose gently placed upon it.

Sunday, February 8

"I'll go get some butterbeers," Sam whispered in Lily's ear as he tucked in her seat. He walked towards the bar.

The couple was at the very crowded Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Outside, hundreds of people were mulling around, buying Valentine's Day gifts and regular shopping.

Lily liked the typical Hogsmeade environment. Though it was crowded, it was happy and festive. She looked out the window and watched as everything passed her by in a snowy winter wonderland.

"Hey Evans," an arrogant voice greeted her.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Lily yelled at James.

"Babe, it's okay…we all get stood up once in a while…"

"Potter, if you don't mind, I'm on a date! Just sod off!" Lily hissed at him.

"…I mean, if only you went out with me…I'd never miss a date with my girl!"

Sam got back to the table, holding two butterbeers. "What are you doing?" He frowned down at James, who was in his seat.

"Can't a guy have polite conversation with his potions partner?" James looked at him with innocence.

Sam, taken aback, now turned to Lily. "You're his potions partner?!"

"Ooh…I'd better leave before this gets ugly!" James winked at Lily and headed for the door.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked.

"Oh, I didn't think it was that important…um…I think I'm more in a mood for firewhiskey. I'll be right back."

After the date, Sam went off to practice for a Quidditch game. Lily said it was too cold for her to watch, and headed back to the castle. The snow was starting to fall more heavily, so Lily put her hands in her pockets. Surprised, she found a small box of chocolates in her right one. Her mind immediately reminded itself of the yellow rose from the day before. Lily raced to her room and half expected to fine one on her pillow. And there it was.

The next week's classes all went by fast. All except for potions, that is.

Lily kept finding yellow roses on her pillow every afternoon and small chocolate boxes in her schoolbag and coat. She kept teller herself it was Sam who was leaving her all of these surprises, but she kept finding herself hoping it was another secret admirer.

Since the potion could only be tended to at night, James and Lily wrote the research paper during class.

Tuesday, February 10

Lily was writing the last paragraph to her part of the paper when she looked over at James. To her surprise, he was actually working. He was hunched over his notes, twiddling his quill and frowning at the writing.

_He's handsome. _She admitted to herself. _His fair skin really does compliment his hair…and those strong hands…probably from Quidditch…_She smiled inwardly.

James looked up from his work, as if on cue. He smirked, and she rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're done staring at me, then maybe you can take a look at this," James handed over his two pieces of parchment for the essay.

Lily sighed and took it from him. She glanced at it. "How can people read this! Your handwriting is _atrocious._"

"I'm sorry if it doesn't please you m'lady."

An hour later, Lily arrived at her dormitory to find yet another yellow rose but also a white-chocolate dipped strawberry on a napkin placed on her bedside table.

Thursday, February 12

Thursday night, after her midnight voyage to the potions room, Lily collapsed in one of the common room armchairs. She couldn't sleep. Her mind was in a daze, full of thought about everything that had been going on: the homework load, the Tenebrae Dilucesco potion, Sam, her secret admirer, and James, who was constantly bugging her.

She stared into the fire and her daze as only interrupted when she heard someone coming down from the dormitories. _Oh great, it's the devil himself._

"Ahh…the love of my life…what's the matter? You look distressed," the once sleepy James was now wide awake.

"Taking care of the potion…and just thinking…" Lily softly replied.

James started towards the common room desks, rummaging through scrap paper and looking in the rubbish bin.

"What are you doing?" Lily stared at him as if he was performing a three ring circus.

"Looking for my divination essay." James stopped looking in that area and started making his way towards Lily. "You know, I _was_ writing it in that chair just a few hours ago."

"Well it's not here; I don't have a habit of sitting on pieces of parchment," Lily replied. She gazed back into the fire.

James was right in front of her chair now.

"Well, I still have to check."

Lily looked up from the fire, puzzled. James took that opportunity and trapped her lips in a kiss.

His lips were inviting, and Lily found herself kissing him back. But after a few seconds of their delicate embrace, she realized what she was doing and pulled away. James understood and straightened his posture.

He made his way back towards the stairs. Before he ascended them, he turned around to face her.

"You know, roses are quite popular this time of year," he winked at her and bounded up the stairs.

Friday came and went. All around, students were anticipating the Quidditch game the next day, which was also Valentine's day. Lily, though, was too distracted by the previous evening's events. Lily avoided James the whole day. In potions, she rarely spoke to him. Neither mentioned the kiss.

Saturday, February 14, Valentine's Day

It was dinnertime, and the whole Gryffindor table was celebrating their victory in the Quidditch game.

As Sirius, Lupin and Peter passed her on the way to their seats, she overheard what they were saying…

"I know he was unconscious for a good hour!"

Lily was then reminded of James's unfortunate collision with Sam during the game. They were both going for the quaffle, traveling in opposite directions.

It just sort of happened. Sam only got away with a broken arm, but James had a concussion and a few broken ribs.

Lily excused herself form the table. She went to her room and gathered her roses, eight in all. She snuck into the hospital wing, and was happy to find it empty, except for one patient.

James looked up from the magazine he was reading and smiled slyly at the sight before him: a stunningly beautiful Lily carrying the roses he gave her.

She placed them in the empty vase on his bedside table.

"Hey," he said in a croaked voice.

"I just came to tell you that the potion went well. It's ready," Lily whispered.

"That's all?" James cocked an eyebrow.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes."

She looked away, to the painting but his eyes were still on her.

After an awkward silence, she said, "I guess I should go."

She turned to leave, but James caught her hand. "Don't."

"Thank you for the roses," she whispered to him. Then , she reached down and kissed him. Her lips were warm, and it was a small peck on the lips. She pulled away. "Bye," she said, and walked away.

James watched her leave, and smiled contentedly to himself.

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